Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Price and Gess
  • Patent number: 6474160
    Abstract: A simplified and smaller accelerometer-gyro is provided by combining gyro and accelerometer functions in a single sensor unit which has a pair of counter oscillating accelerometers each having a pendulum or sense element and a vibrating element. The pendulum and vibrating element of each accelerometer are designed to be symmetrical so that the center of mass for each accelerometer are on a line which is parallel to the dither motion of the unit. The geometry of these two pendulums is configured so that the centers of percussion of each is at the same point. Electrodes on the top and bottom cover of the sensor unit combine the pickoff and forcing function with the pendulum tuning function, thereby simplifying electrical connection. A pair of mounting tabs are fastened to the frame by respective compliant beams. The accelerometer-gyro may be mounted in an enclosure that maintains a pressure below atmospheric around the accelerometer-gyro.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Robert E. Stewart, Stanley F. Wyse
  • Patent number: 6477121
    Abstract: A disk apparatus has a playback unit. In the playback unit, a drive plate having thereon a turntable and a spindle motor is compulsively mechanically driven by drive cams of a first and second driving plates, and then mechanically locked at a lower position or upper position. A clamp arm having a clamper is driven toward the drive plate with a biasing force of a spring, and resiliently locked at an upper position or lower position. A disk engaging section for engaging in a disk hole of a disk is formed on the clamper. A projection which is adapted to project through the disk engaging section is formed on the turntable. The disk is well chucked and the disk apparatus is ensured to perform a stable operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Sato, Hideki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6476555
    Abstract: A metal halide lamp has a long life since the temperature of the electrodes can be prevented from excessively rising. The metal halide lamp has an arc tube 3 that is composed of a light emitting part 1 and a sealing part 2 at each end of the light emitting part 1. A pair of electrodes 4 are extended from the ends of the arc tube 3 into the discharge chamber of the light emitting part 1 so that the discharge side ends of the electrodes 4 face each other. The other end of each electrode 4 is connected to a conductor 5 sealed in the sealing part 2. A part of the electrode 4, sealed in the sealing part 2, from the boundary between the light emitting part 1 and the sealing part 2 to the discharge side end of the conductor 5 is referred to as the electrode sealing part L. A metal member 7 partially covers the electrode sealing part L. The ratio of the weight A (mg) of the metal member 7 to the weight B (mg) of the electrode sealing part L is defined as an inequality 0.2≦A/B≦1.6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Yoshida, Takayuki Murase
  • Patent number: 6470508
    Abstract: A system for use in a spa for controlling air flow to jets of the spa having a water pump directing water to a water input of a jet nozzle; and a valve directing exhaust air from the water pump to an air input of the jet nozzle, the valve being operated by a vacuum generated at the intake of the water pump, whereby when the water pump is operating and pumping water to the jet nozzle, the valve is opened for directing the exhaust air from the water pump to the jet nozzle. The valve is an air-check valve that has a piston for closing the valve under spring pressure and operative in response to a vacuum for overcoming the spring pressure so as to open the valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Watkins Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Denis P. Turner
  • Patent number: 6471267
    Abstract: A collapsible frame is provided for positioning a flexible membrane to capture and collect animal waste. From a folded, retracted condition capable of being stored in a pocket or easily carried, the present invention springs open using hinges that open to form a polygon frame with an open interior. The polygon frame may preferably be in the shape of a triangle, square, pentagon or hexagon, although the scope of the invention will extend to a polygon with any number of sides. The frame is used in conjunction with a flexible membrane such as, for example, a plastic bag. The flexible membrane is spread out by the expansion of the frame, and when strategically placed beneath the animal provides a snare to catch the animal waste. The frame and membrane combination provides a target for the animal, and a collection mechanism for capturing the waste. Once the waste is deposited on the flexible membrane, it can be removed from the frame and wrapped up without any human contact with the waste itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Inventor: Katsuya Katz Asazuma
  • Patent number: 6473248
    Abstract: A movable enclosure contains optical components, such as an objective lens, a semiconductor laser, a mirror, and a photodetector. The movable enclosure is supported by a fixed member via a plurality of wires that are positioned in parallel. This construction allows the movable enclosure to move in a tracking direction and a focusing direction. The plurality of wires are insulated from one another to be also used as power-supplying lines and signal lines for the semiconductor laser and the photodetector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electronics Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Nakanishi, Shoichi Takasuka, Shinichi Ijima, Akio Yoshikawa, Kazutoshi Onozawa, Kazuhiko Yamanaka, Naoki Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 6469719
    Abstract: A layout unit refers to a plurality of menu items stored in a menu item information storage unit by a menu item information obtaining unit. The following processes are performed as necessary to display a large number of menu items in a predetermined part of a GUI screen. A character size reducing unit reduces the size of characters used to display menu items. A margin reducing unit determines the layout of menu items so as to reduce the margins in menu items. An abbreviating unit replaces certain character strings in menu items with shorter character strings. In this way, the layout unit determines the layout of menu items. A menu control unit then has the menu items displayed in accordance with the layout determined by the layout unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisayuki Kino, Norio Sanada, Kiyokazu Yamanaka, Chihiro Kawahara
  • Patent number: 6469625
    Abstract: A security sensor 1 having a disturbance detecting capability capable of detecting the presence of an obstacle 8 purposefully applied to the sensor 1 in an attempt to fool or tamper the sensor 1 includes a carrier body A having an infrared sensor element 4, an incident side enclosure 5, such as a lens defining a detection area B, mounted on the carrier body A, a light projecting element 11 for projecting a disturbance detecting beam L1 from inside of the incident side enclosure 5 towards the incident side enclosure 5, a light receiving element 12 for receiving the disturbance detecting beam L1 reflected from the incident side enclosure 5, and a detecting circuit 15 for detecting a presence or absence of the obstacle 8 on the incident side enclosure 5, based on an amount of light received by the light receiving element 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Optex Co., LTD
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tomooka
  • Patent number: 6469820
    Abstract: A scanning optical system is used to re-form an original image on a CCD line sensor. The optical system has an object side lens unit, a mirror and an image side lens unit. The object side lens unit condenses light from the object. The mirror is arranged between the object side lens to deflect the light having passed through the object side lens unit for scanning. An exit pupil of the object side lens unit coincide with an entrance pupil of the image side lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Mushiake, Shigeru Sawamura, Shunta Takimoto
  • Patent number: 6470376
    Abstract: The counter 52 is set with an initial value of “1” and is a counter with a maximum value of “4”. This counter 52 increments the count value held by the flip-flop 51 in synchronization with a clock signal so that the count value changes as shown by the progression 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4. This clock signal is also used by the instruction decode control unit 11 to control the execution of instructions, with the counting by the counter 52 being performed once for each instruction execution performed by the instruction decode control unit 11. The comparator 54 compares the count value counted by the counter 52 with the maximum value “4”, and when the values match, sets the task switching signal chg_task_ex at a “High” value, so that the processing switches to the execution of the next task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., LTD
    Inventors: Takaharu Tanaka, Kiyoshi Maenobu, Kosuke Yoshioka, Makoto Hirai, Tokuzo Kiyohara
  • Patent number: 6467505
    Abstract: A flow controller having a first and second stages of regulation. The first stage is a pressure regulation stage that maintains the pressure within an intermediate chamber (formed by a series of interconnected passageways and cavities) within a predetermined range above the pressure in an outlet port. The second stage maintains the flow rate within a predetermined range about a target flow rate. Both stages sample the pressure in the outlet port and automatically adjust the flow of fluid to ensure that fluctuations in pressure at the inlet and outlet ports do not affect the flow rate. The flow rate is set and controlled by a user determined setpoint. The pressure is regulated by one or more feedback systems. The feedback systems used may be mechanical or electromechanical based on a particular operating environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Flowmatrix Inc.
    Inventors: Petur Thordarson, Patrick A. Lowery
  • Patent number: 6467670
    Abstract: Sealant 11 is supplied in advance to one or both of the electrical bonding areas 5,6 of the component 3 and the mounting surface 4, and as the component 3 is brought in contact with the mounting surface 4, the sealant 11 is compressed and filled therebetween in a required area. At the same time ultrasonic vibration is applied to the component 3 for generating friction between the electrical bonding areas 5, 6 of the component 3 and the mounting surface 4 in tight contact with each other, so that both electrical bonding areas 5, 6 are melted and ultrasonically bonded together, and thereby the component 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushi Higashi, Hiroyuki Otani, Shozo Minamitani, Shinji Kanayama, Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6470496
    Abstract: To provide a control program downloading method that is used by a digital broadcast receiving apparatus equipped with a storing device which stores an update program and a non-update program that compose a control program. Under control of the update program, a new update program is received and written over data stored in a part of an area in the storing device where the non-update program has been stored. At the same time, a part of a new non-update program is received and written over data stored in another part of the area in the storing device where the non-update program has been stored. Once the new update program has been completely written into the storing device, under control of the new update program, the reception and writing of the part of the new non-update program is continued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoe Kato, Keishi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 6467158
    Abstract: A component feeder including a rotary mechanism 31 which is mounted on a turning mechanism 17 for turning the suction nozzle 3 and causes the suction nozzle 3 to rotate around its axis line A, a detector 7 for detecting an amount of displacement the component 2 in rotating direction around the axis line A of the suction nozzle 3, and a controller 32 which controls the suction nozzle 3 such as to rotate at a necessary angle around its axis line A before picking up the component 2 in accordance with displacement of the component 2 in rotating direction around the axis line A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kiyomura, Shinji Kanayama, Nobuya Matsumura, Kenji Takahashi, Hiroshi Nasu
  • Patent number: 6464557
    Abstract: A method for forming a safe molding material into an elastic doll head of a uniform thickness without deteriorating an appearance of the doll head. Split mold members (2, 3) each have an inner surface (2a, 3a) formed to have a configuration which provides a shape of a doll head (A) when the split mold members cooperate with each other. The split mold members (2, 3) form the doll head with a parting line (18) in a manner to extend from an upper portion (27) of a forehead of the doll head through a rear side (28) of each of ears thereof to a rear portion (29) of a neck thereof, to thereby substantially equally divide the doll head into two halves. A molding material mainly consisting of a thermoplastic synthetic resin elastomer is heated and dropped in the form of a parison (13) into a space defined between the split mold members (2, 3) kept spaced from each other. Then, the split mold members (2, 3) are joined to each other and air is blown into the thus-joined split mold members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Takara Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Ohba, Takahiro Ueno, Akira Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6466735
    Abstract: The car navigation file of the optical disk stores data which is used for navigating the car, and the video title set stores a plurality of video titles concerning facilities located in districts included in the map data. A VOB comprising one scene of a video image of a video title is a filmed shot in high picture quality. The VOB includes a writing command that position information of a position associated with the video information be written in the rewitable area when the predetermined operation is performed during the reproduction of the optical disk. When the disk reproduction apparatus executes the writing command, the position information can be written in the rewritable area. Consequently, the user can easily have the destination written in the optical disk, enjoying the filmed shots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Kozuka, Masataka Minami, Kazuoki Otani, Osamu Kawashima, Yoshihisa Fukushima, Yoshiho Gotoh
  • Patent number: 6464523
    Abstract: An electrical connector forming a watertight seal once connected. The connector includes a receptacle formed within a first housing and having a plurality of electrically conductive sockets disposed in an insulator for receiving electrically conductive pins. Also, a plug is adapted for receipt by the receptacle and is formed within a second housing and has a plurality of electrically conductive pins no greater in number than the number of the electrically conductive sockets. The connector has an insulating “O” ring disposed between the sleeve and the second housing with a diameter equal to the diameter of said first housing, whereby the “O” ring forms a watertight seal between the receptacle and the plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventor: Edward LeVine
  • Patent number: 6462744
    Abstract: When an OSD data storage area for storing OSD data needs to be reserved, an area of a frame storage apparatus that should store macroblocks corresponding to an invisible area on a screen is allocated as the OSD data storage area. There is no degradation in picture quality. When doing so, the data reduction control unit 64 receives an instruction to reserve the OSD data storage area and discards the corresponding macroblocks. The OSD data access unit 63 writes the OSD data into an area of the frame storage apparatus that was assigned to store the discarded macroblocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuji Mochida, Tokuzo Kiyohara, Makoto Hirai, Hideshi Nishida
  • Patent number: 6459792
    Abstract: A cryptographic processing apparatus for performing cryptographic processing using input data to generate output data is provided. The cryptographic processing apparatus includes a storage unit for storing chain data which is used for reflecting present cryptographic processing on next cryptographic processing, and for renewing the chain data each time cryptographic processing is performed, a merging unit for merging the chain data stored in the storage unit with the input data to generate merged data, and a main cryptographic processing unit for performing main cryptographic processing using the merged data to generate output data and for outputting intermediate data generated during a generation of the output data, wherein the storage unit renews the chain data by storing the intermediate data outputted by the main cryptographic processing unit as the new chain data, which is used for the next cryptographic processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoji Ohmori, Natsume Matsuzaki, Makoto Tatebayashi, Masakatsu Maruyama
  • Patent number: 6459272
    Abstract: A magnetic field applying portion is positioned above a magnetic field applied region, and applies a magnetic field to the magnetic field applied region. Among probes which are abutted against ball grids of wirings, two probes are selectively connected electrically to a current detector section whereby a closed circuit is formed. This causes the closed circuit to carry an induced current as the magnetic flux through the magnetic field the magnetic field applied region changes with time. A current detector of the current detector section detects the value of the induced current, and whether there is a short-circuit is judged based on the detected current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Nidec-Read Corporation
    Inventor: Munehiro Yamashita